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"The Guardians, the Sentinels, a collection of butt-ugly metal headballs. Whatever you think of the House Robots they're a vital part of Robot Wars, adding their own special brand of violence, mayhem and humour."
Robot Wars File[1]

The House Robots (also referred to on occasions as the House Bots) were a group of robots on Robot Wars acting as additional hazards for competitor robots in the arena. They would usually occupy one or more Corner Patrol Zones (CPZs), or the Perimeter Patrol Zone (PPZ) in Series 2 only, either attacking competitors if they entered those areas or after they had become immobilised. Only during the latter scenario would House Robots be free to roam outside the CPZs to finish off defeated competitors.

Four House Robots debuted in Series 1 - Dead Metal, Matilda, Sgt. Bash and Shunt - with more joining them as the original series progressed. These additions were Sir Killalot (Series 2), Mr. Psycho (Series 6), Growler (Series 6) and Cassius Chrome (Series 7).

For Series 8-10, new versions of Sir Killalot, Matilda, Shunt and Dead Metal were built, each featuring several improvements to match the improved standard of more modern competitors. Sgt. Bash, Growler, Mr, Psycho and Cassius Chrome were announced not to be returning for the rebooted series. In Series 9, a new feature was added where pressing the Arena Tyre could activate Rogue House Robot mode, allowing the House Robots to leave their CPZs and attack competitor robots anywhere in the arena for ten seconds.

Additional House Robots were also built for roles other than those applied to the main group. Partway through Series 2, The Sentinel was introduced as an obstacle in the Gauntlet stage, only to be retired at the end of the series. Meanwhile, the non-combative Refbot was introduced in Series 4 to help ensure fair play in the arena, remaining until the end of the original show's run in Series 7.

Two further machines, Shove and Dozer, were also used behind the scenes to push and drag competitors out of the arena at the end of battles, as well as to clear debris from the Drop Zone in the case of Dozer. However, neither robot was formally mentioned in the televised series.

Unlike the majority of competitor robots, the House Robots were often referred to by gender pronouns. For most series, Matilda was designed and referred to as a female ("she"/"her") whilst the others were often referred to as males ("he"/"his"/"him"); however, Dead Metal has also been referred to as a female House Robot in publications coinciding with the broadcast of Series 10.

History[]

Pre-TV[]

The concept of a House Robot dates back to the original 1994 US competition in San Francisco, where a machine under this name was used in the Escort and Melee events. Armed with a 180-degree lifter, the House Robot was used in the former to incapacitate an unnamed white drone, which competitors had to defend from the House Robot while it navigated across the arena. It also appeared in the multi-class Melee battle towards the end of the competition, sparring with various competitors.[2]

An early draft for the original 1994 rules suggests that multiple House Robots were originally considered for each available weight class, those being heavyweight, middleweight and lightweight respectively. These were suggested to be used exclusively in Escort, though only one House Robot would end up being built and utilised in the actual event.[3]

An unarmed Cambot was also used on multiple occasions throughout the 1994-1997 competitions, its primary purpose being to capture video footage from inside the arena during events.

TV Show[]

House Robot Series 1 Series 2 Series 3 Series 4 Series 5/Extreme 1 Series 6/Extreme 2 Series 7 Series 8-10
Cassius Chrome
Dead Metal
Growler
Matilda
Mr. Psycho
Refbot
Sgt. Bash
Shunt
Sir Killalot
The Sentinel
House Robots Series 4 1

The House Robots in a promotional photo for Series 4

The House Robots from the Robot Wars TV series featured heavily in promotional material, and were instrumental to the show's success. They were designed to act as recurring characters for the audience to follow, with unique designs and 'personalities' distinct from those expected from the participating competitor robots. This had the effect of ensuring that there would be familiar robots present in every episode, even if popular or highly-regarded competitors were defeated at any stage in televised competitions. The House Robots also enabled Robot Wars merchandise to be produced without having to negotiate royalties with competitor teams.

"...these robots all have their own personality. They all look very individual. They don't look like metal boxes, because that's almost certainly what the competitor's robots are going to look like. "
— Chris Reynolds, Sir Killalot and the House Robots
Series 6 Crew

The House Robots in Series 6 with the Robot Wars technical crew

The idea for the UK House Robots came from original Lead Series Producer (and later Executive Producer) Steve Carsey, who was likely inspired by the titular characters of the then-popular sports entertainment show Gladiators.[4] Under Carsey's supervision, the original builds were constructed, operated and maintained by a team from the BBC's Visual Effects Department led by Chris Reynolds. The department eventually closed in 2003, with Reynolds and his team instead being employed by Mentorn themselves for Series 7.[5] For Series 8-10, the new House Robots were constructed by creative engineering company Robo Challenge, who have been involved with numerous other television programmes such as The Gadget Show and have hosted live robot combat events in the UK.

Speed comparisons

Speed comparisons of the Series 2-5 House Robots (excluding Refbot)

After Robot Wars entered its hiatus, the original House Robots were given to Chris Reynolds, but were later reclaimed from him by the BBC and eventually put into storage. Original series Technical Consultant and Judge Mat Irvine doubted that they remained in perfect working condition, as the effects department often cannibalised electronics from old projects to save money.[6]

As part of an agreement that involved using the Robot Wars brand for live events, Roaming Robots acquired the rights to the House Robots in early 2013. Soon after this, they began using a replica Matilda in their live events, particularly in featherweight battles, and continued to do so until the end of the Robot Wars live tours in 2016.

In late September 2014, some of the moulds for the original House Robots were put up for sale on the auction site eBay. In early October of the same year, they were purchased by Roaming Robots and Robot Wars LLC. It was believed that they intended to use them for making replicas of the House Robots for future events, though only John Findlay's Matilda replica would appear.

RobotWarsHouseRobotsRestingPlace-0

The original House Robots in secure storage

In February 2015, tech reporter Lucy Hedges posted an image to Twitter appearing to show her with Matilda and Sgt. Bash at the Robo Challenge facility, with the robots looking in good condition despite their age. Almost a year later, just days before the announcement of the new series of Robot Wars in 2016, Team Storm shared this same image, confirming that the rest of the House Robots were also in the storage facility.[7] Ed Hoppitt later commented to dispel the various rumours as to their whereabouts that had circulated over the years.

"They were never 'lost' someone was paying for their storage - it's just some people didn't know who."
— Ed Hoppitt of Team Storm
"...they have never been lost, just some people didn't know where they were ;-) !"
— Another reply from Ed Hoppitt concerning the original House Robots' whereabouts prior to Series 8[8]
Houserobots series8 loadingbay

The House Robots in their loading bay during Series 8

Following the announcement of Series 8, Dead Metal, Shunt, Matilda and Sir Killalot were confirmed to return for the rebooted series. New versions of each were built by Robo Challenge featuring significant redesigns and improvements, being officially billed as 'descendants' of the original versions.[9] To this day, Robo Challenge still own the original versions of the House Robots as well, which was officially confirmed by Series 8-10 Executive Producer Andrew Robertson during an October 2017 Reddit AMA.[10]

In June 2016 when quizzed about Sgt. Bash's absence, the Official Robot Wars Facebook page responded, suggesting the possibility of further House Robots in potential future series. However, no more House Robots were added for the entirety of the rebooted series' run, with the BBC deciding not to renew Robot Wars in 2018.

"Sgt Bash isn't joining us for this series, as we only needed four for this series. However next time..."
— Official Robot Wars Facebook Page[11]

Construction[]

According to Chris Reynolds, the original House Robots built for Series 1 shared a common angle iron chassis with two-wheel drive and industrial castors. Modifications specific to Sgt. Bash included extra weight being applied to the front and the wheels being set towards the rear, along with rotovated tyres to emphasise his military-inspired look. This standardised approach was considered less expensive and time-consuming than developing an equivalent tank steering system, which would be revisited for later additions such as Sir Killalot and Mr. Psycho. Under a limited timeframe, all four of the original Series 1 House Robots were built within a total special effects budget of £40,000.[12]

A similar ethos was adopted by Robo Challenge for the Series 8-10 builds, which utilised steel tubular box frames and 'universal' gearbox assemblies with different ratios to suit each House Robot. These incarnations of Shunt, Matilda and Dead Metal shared a common two-wheel drive system, though with different gear ratios and tyres between them. Another requirement specific to the Revival Series builds was for them to not only be 'solid and strong', but also easy to maintain in between battles. Grant Cooper mentioned in a 2020 Caley Creations/RoboNerd interview that they needed to be designed so that they could be repaired using only basic tools. The Series 8-10 House Robots took approximately 8 weeks to design and build, and were the first Robo Challenge projects to make use of CNC plasma cutting methods.[13]

Usage[]

Classic/International Series[]

In televised series, House Robots would be present in most competitions requiring the use of the main arena. These extended to appearances in the Gauntlet and Trial stages of the first two series, where they usually served as background decoration or mobile hazards to impede competitors' progress. Certain Trial events - such as Sumo, Tug of War and Joust - were based around competitors attempting to survive against or defeat one or more House Robots allocated for the given event.

Earlier UK Series battles usually had four House Robots stationed at any one time, each occupying one CPZ. As a non-combative House Robot, Refbot was given complete freedom of the arena, aiding his roles in unsticking, extinguishing or penalising other robots in combat.

The Series 2-exclusive PPZ was capable of stationing all five House Robots at once, with one corner also featuring The Sentinel during the Grand Final and Grudge Matches episodes.

Beginning with Extreme 1 and Series 5, the number of House Robots present was reduced to two at a time in most competitions. This was also the case for the first two or three rounds of the Series 4 Annihilators, which had only two at these stages before reverting to four by the penultimate round. Though largely confined to the CPZs, House Robots still had the freedom to travel across the perimeter of the arena in between each zone, ostensibly to 'patrol' and potentially attack any wayward competitors.[14] Notable exceptions during the Classic run included the first heat of the Series 7 Featherweight Championship and the recurring House Robot Rebellions, which would have up to three in the arena.

Revival Series[]

"They're really the guardians of the whole of the arena. First, they're there for safety... if a robot goes rogue, if its on fire, the House Robots can go in, move it to a safe place, so the humans don't have to go in with potential damage there. And they're a hazard, just like the Pit, the Fire, and the Flipper, the Spikes. You can use those robots to push your opponents into them. And if you go into that [Corner Patrol] Zone, you're going to get attacked."
Lucy Rogers, explaining the roles of the House Robots in Series 10, Heat C

House Robot usage in the Revival Series remained largely the same as in the Classic run. In most cases, two would be present in the CPZs as with Extreme 1-Series 7, though only one would be used in earlier stages of a given competition, such as the Heat Group Battle stages of the main championship. One House Robot would be seen in the majority of fights from the 2016 Battle of the Stars specials. During the Head-to-Head round of Series 9, Heat E, Sir Killalot was the only House Robot in the arena when Carbide and Apollo faced each other at that stage.

For the first time since Series 4, more than two House Robots would be used in a main UK Championship match at one point during the Revival run. This occurred in Series 10, when Dead Metal entered the arena partway through the 10 Robot Rumble to join Shunt and Sir Killalot.

With the absence of Refbot, the duality of House Robot roles was more explicitly defined and addressed in the Revival Series than before. As well as acting as mobile hazards, the Series 8-10 builds would also take on additional behind-the-scenes roles, namely by moving competitors towards areas in which they could be safely deactivated after battles. In one untelevised instance during Series 10, Sir Killalot was used to pin Carbide against one of the entry gates after its bar spinner malfunctioned, allowing its removable link to be extracted by a Robot Wars crew member.[15] Their combative roles were further emphasised in Series 9-10 by the introduction of Rogue House Robot, a Dial of Doom setting which enabled one to leave his/her CPZ and attack mobile competitors in the arena for up to ten seconds at a time.

Main House Robots[]

Shunt[]

Main article: Shunt
Oldshunt

Shunt in Series 1

Shunt

Shunt in Series 3-7

The first of the four original House Robots to be introduced, Shunt was influenced by bulldozers and railway shunting engines, possessing excellent pulling and pushing power befitting of his name. His arsenal included a snowplough and scoop at either end (the latter pneumatically-operated from Series 2 onwards), along with an axe, which by Series 3 had been upgraded with a diamond-edged head and a striking force of 500kg per square centimetre. Shunt was initially designed for and frequently used in the Sumo Trial, though at times he would face strong opposition from competitors such as Panic Attack in those events.

In later series, Shunt would often be vulnerable to attacks from competitors armed with flipping or lifting weapons, notably Chaos 2, Firestorm, Bigger Brother and Gravity. He also had the lowest quoted weight of all House Robots at 105kg, only 5kg more than the maximum limit implemented for heavyweight robots from Extreme 1 to Series 7. However, his diamond-edged axe often proved capable of causing major damage, such as in the Series 4 Grand Final where he stopped Hypno-Disc's flywheel during its Eliminator against Pussycat.

2016Shunt

Shunt in Series 8-10

Shunt was rebuilt in 2016 with several major improvements. The formerly lightest House Robot now weighed 327kg, further improving his pushing power, while the lifting scoop was now made out of wear-resistant HARDOX steel to defend against more powerful spinning weapons. A larger and more powerful axe was also employed, featuring a titanium-tipped spike head and the capacity to strike with a tonne of force in a quarter of a second.

Matilda[]

Main article: Matilda
Matilda

Matilda from Series 1-4

Matilda s5-7

Matilda from Series 5-7

Based on a mutant alien boar or dinosaur, Matilda was one of the original four House Robots, equipped with pneumatic flipping tusks and a rear-mounted spinning weapon which changed over the course of the original series. Initially, this took the form of a 3,000rpm chainsaw, but in later series this was replaced with a more potent 27kg vertical flywheel capable of severely damaging and even throwing competitors out of the arena.

Though not the lightest House Robot in the original run (weighing at a quoted 116kg), Matilda was often subjected to attacks from competitor robots in earlier series, receiving damage to her tusks and fibreglass shell alongside flips from robots armed with flipping or lifting weapons. Notably, the Series 1-4 model was heavily damaged by Razer at the end of the Southern Annihilator, which lead to her receiving a substantial upgrade for Extreme 1 and Series 5 with more powerful tusks as well as the flywheel weapon. The chainsaw, nevertheless, continued to make sporadic appearances in international versions where it was listed as an interchangeable spinning weapon alongside the flywheel.

Jonathan Pearce sometimes jokingly implied there may be a relationship going on between Matilda and Sir Killalot, and to lesser extents Shunt and Sgt. Bash, but this was never expanded upon.

2016Matilda

Matilda in Series 8-10

Matilda was rebuilt in 2016, featuring a revised design with a more triceratops-inspired look. Further improvements were made to both of her weapons systems; in addition to a new 35kg HARDOX flywheel, the tusks were overhauled to form a lifting headpiece capable of throwing competitors at a pressure of 800psi. The revised Matilda's weight was also increased to 350kg.

Dead Metal[]

Main article: Dead Metal
Dead metal01

Dead Metal in Series 1-2

Dead-metal

Dead Metal in Series 3-7

Dead Metal was one of the four original House Robots, recognisable by a steel exoskeleton chassis resembling a scorpion or lobster. His weaponry consisted of a pair of pneumatically-driven pincers, which would be used to trap competitors before cutting into them with a vertically-mounted circular saw forming his 'head'. Dead Metal's name originated from the fact that it looked like he had been made from metal found in a scrapyard.

Of the initial House Robots, Dead Metal was the quickest at 12mph and his armament remained largely similar throughout his appearances in the original run. However, his scorpion-like appearance substantially evolved in earlier series; by Series 3, the arm-based grinding blade/cutting disc had been replaced with a larger 3,000rpm Stihl type saw which could move forwards on a hinged assembly forming his new 'head'. This gave Dead Metal a significantly more effective weapons synergy and resulted in him gaining a reputation for producing sparks when cutting into competitors, especially those armoured in titanium. His appearance was thus largely unchanged for the remainder of the original series run.

2016DeadMetal

Dead Metal in Series 8-10

Dead Metal was rebuilt in 2016, weighing 343kg and carrying over many features from the Series 3-7 build. Along with LED 'eyes', a top speed of 13mph and enlarged claws with a 1.4m diameter, a larger and more robust saw mechanism was also employed. The 450mm magnesium sawblade now rotated at 4,000rpm, allowing this version of Dead Metal to cause similar kinds of damage as his/her predecessor.

Sergeant Bash[]

Main article: Sergeant Bash
Sergeant bash in series 1

Sgt. Bash in Series 1-2

Sgt-bash

Sgt. Bash in Series 4-7

One of the original four House Robots, Sergeant Bash (often abbreviated to Sgt. Bash) was designed to look like a military tank with his green army colours and turret-based flamethrower weapon. In Series 1-2, he carried a sharp battering ram at the front and a small circular saw at the rear, the former later replaced for Series 3 by a set of pincers similar to those wielded by Sir Killalot.

By far Sgt. Bash's most famous and memorable feature was the flamethrower itself, a weapon type usually prohibited under the Robot Wars build rules. The propane-fuelled weapon was frequently used to set more flammable competitors alight such as the robots of Team Nemesis, even forming the basis of a Series 2 exhibition battle where the House Robot himself played a prominent part.

Sgt. Bash received a major redesign for Series 3 which added the front pincers, but replaced the circular saw with a bent ornamental one due to space limitations. The pincers were exchanged from Series 4 onwards for a set of custom hydraulic claws, allowing him to grip and crush competitors at a force of eight tonnes. However, his narrower front-end shape left him vulnerable against a variety of lifting and flipping weapons, notably getting turned over by competitors such as Griffon, Bigger Brother, Chaos 2, Thermidor 2 and Firestorm throughout his appearances.

A rebuilt version was briefly considered by Robo Challenge upon Robot Wars' revival in 2016, but ultimately did not appear due to timing constraints.[16]

Sir Killalot[]

Main article: Sir Killalot
Sir-killalot

Sir Killalot, between Series 3-7

Sir Killalot 2016

Sir Killalot in Series 8-10

Sir Killalot (also simply known as Sir K or Killalot) debuted in Series 2 as the largest, heaviest and most famous House Robot. A blue tracked robot initially weighing 520kg and designed to resemble a medieval knight (his name being a play on 'Sir Lancelot'), he featured two hydraulically-operated arms equipped with cutting jaws (left) and a spiked 'lance' (right), later modified from Series 3 onwards to include a rotating drill. The jaws were initially a set of pincers repurposed from the 'jaws of life' used by emergency services, but were later upgraded from Series 4 onwards as a custom-made weapon featuring a wider reach and thus even greater damage potential.

From his initial appearance, Sir Killalot was billed as the 'king' of the House Robots, featuring prominently in merchandise and promotional materials while also becoming known for his weaponry and methods of attacking defeated competitors. Among those included lifting and carrying them in his jaws or lance to arena hazards (such as the Flame Pit or Pit of Oblivion), or performing a 'spin trick' where he would spin on the spot and throw affected competitors across the arena upon releasing his grip. However, his top-heaviness would sometimes cause him to lose balance (such as while attacking GroundHog in Series 2), while his exoskeletal armour and petrol drivetrain also left him vulnerable to catching fire on occasions. Despite attempts by competitors such as Wheely Big Cheese and Gravity to do so, Sir Killalot would become the only House Robot never to be fully flipped over.

Along with Shunt, Matilda and Dead Metal, Sir Killalot was rebuilt in 2016 with an electric power system and a larger and considerably revised design. Weighing 741kg (750kg by the time of Series 9), he boasted an increased lifting capacity of 300kg, a revised claw weapon, a 10mph top speed (double the quoted 5mph speed of the original) as well as substantially improved protection to his tracks and internals. The drill lance, however, was no longer made to rotate, leaving the claw as Sir Killalot's main armament.

Growler[]

Main article: Growler
Growler

Growler

Growler was one of two House Robots introduced for Series 6 along with Mr. Psycho. Designed by Rob Englebright, he was established as Mr. Psycho's 'pet', a four-wheel drive mechanical dog armed with hydraulic jaws capable of clamping competitors with 4 tonnes of force. His main feature, however, was a powerful skid-steer drive system similar to that used by Series 6 Champion Tornado, resulting in a top speed of 17mph. Coupled with the jaws, a predominantly steel construction and a maximum weight of 375kg, this allowed Growler to grab, spin and ram competitors at high speeds while inflicting major internal and external damage. A small rear flamethrower was also added for Extreme 2, but was removed afterwards after seeing very limited usage throughout the series.

Mr. Psycho[]

Main article: Mr. Psycho
Mr Psycho

Mr. Psycho

Mr. Psycho made his debut in Series 6, also designed by Rob Englebright and succeeding Sir Killalot as the largest and heaviest House Robot from the original series. Weighing 750kg, Mr. Psycho had some similarities to Sir Killalot in featuring tracks and a hydraulic claw weapon, the latter designed to grab and hold competitors high off the arena floor. His most famous weapon, however, was a swinging hammer weighing 30kg, capable of causing significant internal damage to any competitor positioned underneath it. Mr. Psycho was quoted as having a top speed of 8mph, considerably faster than the original Sir Killalot. Despite his added weight, however, he was not invulnerable to toppling over on occasions, such as in the Extreme 2 Commonwealth Carnage where he was flipped by Firestorm 4 at the end of its second-round battle.

Cassius Chrome[]

Main article: Cassius Chrome
Cassius-chrome

Cassius Chrome

The final new House Robot to be introduced, Cassius Chrome appeared exclusively in Series 7 as a two-wheel drive robot modelled on a heavyweight boxer. Once again designed by Rob Englebright, he featured a pair of cam-driven arms with interchangeable 'fists' or spears as his main weapons, along with a static shovel and the highest top speed of any House Robot at 20mph. While not able to cause as much external damage as his predecessors, Cassius Chrome was frequently able to use his fists to ram and deflect competitors as well as dislodge vital internal components, such as Mechaniac's batteries in its Third World Championship qualifier.

Other House Robots[]

Refbot[]

Main article: Refbot
Refbot-1-

Refbot

Refbot was introduced in Series 4 as a humanoid House Robot intended to enforce fair play in the arena. Modelled on a sporting referee, his roles included separating competitors if they became stuck together, extinguishing fires and ensuring that the main House Robots did not attack competitors from outside their CPZs.

Equipment carried by Refbot initially consisted of a set of static ploughs/scoops to separate other robots as well as a left arm with a pincer grip and a CO2 fire extinguisher integrated into his right arm. From Extreme 1 until his last appearance in Series 7, a three-light indicator replaced the pincer grip, showing either a yellow card or red card to signal eliminations or House Robot infringements, and a green light at the start of battles. An electronic counter was also added to his chest to count out immobilised competitors, prior to further attacks from the other House Robots.

Throughout his appearances, Refbot served his intended purpose as a non-combative House Robot, though in later series there were occasions where he activated and brought defeated competitors to hazards instead of any other robots in the arena.

The Sentinel[]

Main article: The Sentinel
SentinelHeatK

The Sentinel

Debuting in Heat G of Series 2, The Sentinel was a repurposed Hanix H08A mini excavator[17] modelled to resemble a large robotic arm. It was used almost exclusively as an obstacle in the Gauntlet stage, though it did appear in some arena battles as shown in the Series 2 Grand Final and the subsequent Grudge Matches episode.

Armed with a spiked club on the end of its arm, The Sentinel could block, pin and push competitors against side railings and into a nearby pit, operating with a 180-degree and later 360-degree reach over the left and centre routes. Likely as a result of its status as a Gauntlet-specific hazard, it was retired at the end of its debut series.

House Robot (1994)[]

Main article: House Robot (1994)
Houserobot 1994

The original 1994 House Robot

The original 1994 House Robot appeared exclusively in the inaugural US Robot Wars competition held that same year. Sporting a conical orange shell and a 180-degree lifter, it was operated by Dean Simone and used in the Escort and Melee events. The House Robot's weapon was especially effective against lower weight class competitors and the Escort drone, also occasionally doubling as an overhead bludgeoner.[2]

Cambot[]

Main article: Cambot
Cambot94

Cambot, as built for the 1994 US competition

Throughout the 1994-1997 US competitions, a non-combative machine named Cambot was used to obtain point-of-view footage from inside the arena, typically during combat, Escort and demonstration events. Video footage was typically recorded using a handheld camcorder attached to the robot. The existence of Cambot predates the installation and use of onboard cameras in most House Robots throughout the televised Robot Wars series.[18][19]

Various Cambots were built throughout this era, one of which was a temporary conversion of 1996 lightweight competitor Gator. An alternative term for this robot was robo-cam, though it was still generally referred to as "Cambot" in arena announcements and commentary.[20]

House Mouse[]

Main article: Eubank the Mouse
The Mouse 95

The Mouse, also used as the pioneering 'House Mouse' in the 1995 UK Open

During the 1995 UK Open Competition - serving as a proof-of-concept and pilot for the original TV series - Derek Foxwell's entry The Mouse was used as a House Mouse for some events including battles and a 'Robotic Soccer' match. This was generally considered to be the first time a designated House Robot was seen at a UK Robot Wars event, which was acknowledged in a Robot Wars Magazine article covering the Robot Mayhem live event.[21]

The Mouse would ultimately compete in the televised Series 1 as a stock robot under the name Eubank the Mouse, and became a static display alongside regular and replica House Robots until the end of the original run.

Shove[]

Main article: Shove
Shove

Shove

One of two House Robots mainly used behind the scenes, Shove was a four-wheel drive machine designed to push and drag defeated or damaged competitor robots to the entry gates for collection by roboteers. For this purpose, it was equipped with a static front scoop similar in shape to Shunt's as well as a rear hook-like device resembling a spiked axe.

Used in the first three UK Series, Shove was later superseded by Refbot for the televised competitions of Series 4, and by Dozer from Series 5 onwards. However, it remained present up until the end of the original series as a static display in The Pits.

Dozer[]

Main article: Dozer
Dozerbot

Dozer

Built by Derek Foxwell to replace Shove for the Series 5 qualifiers,[22] Dozer fulfilled the same role as its predecessor, with a similar appearance, drive system and static scoop/hook attachments. In subsequent series, it was also used to clear up Drop Zone debris for future battles, and remained in use until the end of Series 7.

Razer[]

Main article: Razer
"Razer was introduced as a 'house robot' at the live show. Team Razer warned contestant bots not to attack them - else it might mean a mashed bot which wouldn't get into Series 5!"
Robot Wars Magazine, on Razer's use as a House Robot at the 2001 Wembley Arena Live Event
Razer EXT

Razer at the time of Extreme 1/Series 5

During the 2001 Live Event tour - serving as the initial qualifiers for Series 5 - established UK Series competitor Razer was temporarily designated as a House Robot for the Wembley Arena leg only. The Bournemouth machine, armed with a hydraulic crushing 'beak' with a force of nine tonnes, had previously been selected for and would compete in the main series as the fourth seed. Throughout the Wembley event, Razer would take part in a number of head-to-head and melee battles involving other potential series hopefuls, though the extent of its involvement as a House Robot remains largely unknown.[23][24][25][26]

While not officially publicised, an audience member account suggests that Razer also took part as a 'guest' House Robot during the earlier London Arena stage on the same tour. This is known to have occurred once during a qualifier 'final' between Aggrobot 3 and Reactor 2, shortly after a demonstration also involving Shunt.[27]

Proposed House Robots[]

Early Concepts[]

A number of concepts for the House Robots were proposed prior to and during the Classic Series run, some of which were developed into the final machines seen on television. Many of the earlier ideas were visualised through sketches drawn by Tom Carney, most of which would be acknowledged and featured in official Robot Wars media. Examples featuring Carney's work included publications such as the Robot Wars File Funfax guide; souvenir programmes for live recordings or events;[28][29] and mid-to-late 1990s captures of the official Mentorn website.[30]

The following concept sketches were present on the Robot Wars File 'Primitive Prototypes' poster:

  • Evildoer - A prototype for Matilda, with an oval-shaped body, several saws along its back, cog-driven wheels and a rear chainsaw. The concept looked very similar to the finalised Matilda seen in the televised series. Also appears in the 2001 Live Event souvenir programme.[28]
  • Shove - The inspiration for Shunt and not to be confused with the non-televised House Robot of the same name. Featured a similar appearance to the latter two but with eight wheels, larger scoops/ploughs, side-mounted spinning weapons and a more train-inspired design. Also referred to as The Keeper on the Mentorn website,[30] and featured in the 2001 Live Event souvenir programme.[28]
  • Phobia - A flying robot with helicopter blades and two chainsaws suspended from underneath. The Funfax description perpetuates it to have crash-landed on its first test flight.
  • The Sentinels - Not to be confused with the Series 2 House Robot. A large clusterbot consisting of two tall humanoid-like machines armed with hooked arms and connected by a steel net used to trap other robots. The Funfax poster humorously claimed that The Sentinels were destroyed when they had an argument and sliced through each other's power lines. Also appears in the 2001 Live Event souvenir programme.[28]
  • Hammerhead - Designed after a shark, this robot had sharp steel teeth at the front, saw blades for wheels (similar to Saw Point) and an axe for a tail. In the Robot Wars File, Hammerhead was said to have eaten itself when its tail got stuck in its own teeth. Alternatively titled Happy Eater.[29][31]
  • A Taste of Kaos - By far the biggest robot designed, this was a huge tracked robot with jet propulsion, two 'bionic' side arms with saw blades attached to the ends, and a hooked front ramming blade.

A further three concepts initially appeared exclusively on the Mentorn website:

  • Ekk Eekk - Alternatively titled RAT (Rapid Assault Tank)[30], a rounded robot with a menacing toothed grin, tiger stripes, tall front horns and a rear overhead arm featuring a hand-like spiked claw.[32]
  • Power Mosh - A humanoid-style four-wheel drive robot with front and rear scoops along with a pair of swinging hammers resembling large fists. Also known as Gauntlet[30] (unrelated to the Series 1-2 competition stage) or Mosh Diver.[33]
  • Steel Slammer - Alternatively named Chain-Mane[30], a machine resembling a go-kart with a humanoid 'driver', large exhaust stack and an assortment of spiked maces and hooks attached to free-swinging cables or chains.[34] The concept sketch also appears in the 2001 Live Event souvenir programme.[28]

Spyder/The Bird[]

According to Issue 5 of Robot Wars: The Official Magazine, a further two House Robots were also conceptualised for a possible debut sometime after Series 6 and Extreme Series 2. Revealed by Steve Carsey, these were to be tentatively called Spyder, an 'observational robot', and The Bird, a second 'flying robot' concept which would have become the first of its kind to appear in the televised show.[35]

Neither Spyder, nor The Bird, would ultimately appear by the time of the televised Series 7, and no images or further information on either of these proposed House Robots have surfaced since. However, Carsey himself would later revisit the 'flying robot' idea in creating the 2016 BBC game show Airmageddon, which involved a set of themed drones taking up similar roles to those of the House Robots.[36]

Gallery[]

Criticism[]

During the Classic Series run, the extent to which the House Robots were used to attack and damage competitors was often criticised by leading roboteers from that era. In numerous cases, their attacks would cause lasting damage which would either be expensive, time-consuming or impossible for the roboteers concerned to repair. This was not necessarily confined to battles themselves, or the period after a certain robot had been declared to have lost. On occasions, even robots which had not already been defeated were subject to highly damaging House Robot attacks.

Chaos2vstbc RWS3

The Big Cheese is attacked by the House Robots, a move later criticised by creator Roger Plant

For example, David Crosby revealed two instances in which Napalm was damaged by House Robots in moments not shown on television. The first occurred following its qualification from Series 2, Heat A, whereupon a primary circuit board was damaged moments after the Heat Final already concluded.[37] During the second Extreme 1 Annihilator, Napalm 2 took damaging blows from Matilda's flywheel in the first round which were otherwise not broadcast. Regardless, these contributed to Napalm 2's withdrawal from the second round.

"I want to encourage kids to build them. I might destroy them, so... if I could immobilise them without doing them any harm, yes, but I certainly wouldn't go out to destroy them, no way. Now, a House Robot, that's different..."
— Rex Garrod's 'pacifist' approach to defeating opponents, Series 2, Heat H
Cassius killalot

The machines of Rex Garrod (Cassius pictured) deliberately fought the House Robots to spare their opponents of further damage

Among the most notable critics included the late Rex Garrod, a Grand Finalist of the first two UK Series. In his 'pacifist' approach to robot combat, he often declined to 'destroy' recently-defeated opponents, in favour of challenging the House Robots with his machines Recyclopse and Cassius. Speaking about the House Robots in Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, Garrod likened them to "a minidigger disguised as a robot weighing over half a ton". Believing that the damage inflicted by them was done purely for entertainment, he felt that roboteers should have been compensated for any which was dealt directly to competitor machines.[38]

"I dont know about s4 with the Big Cheese as I do not agree with all the damage that the house robots are doing to the competitors robots. The BC will take many hours of repair work to the case and I and the team do not have the time right now. I am in agreement with REX about withdrawing from the RW series. I gave Mentorn a damn good show with TBC and they still tried to wreck it. It will NOT be back against the house robots if they are going to do the same again. I am working on a 100% titanium robot for the next series which will be literally bullet proof. If I get time it will be ready for RW4 TTFN"
— Roger Plant, on the House Robots damaging The Big Cheese following its Series 3 Heat Final against Chaos 2[39]

Similarly, Roger Plant briefly considered not returning to Robot Wars following The Big Cheese's Series 3 loss to Chaos 2, which involved it taking serious bodywork damage from Sir Killalot once it had been considered eliminated. This was used as the catalyst behind his Series 4-5 competitor Wheely Big Cheese, which briefly attempted to challenge Sir Killalot in its debut battle.

"Back in the old day on Robot Wars... if you lost, your robot got written off, then... in the old days, you'd spend a few hundred pound building a robot. As being competitors ourselves, we appreciate and understand all the hard work and effort that the teams go to, and the thousands of pounds that they put in out of their own pocket. So there is a bit more of an appreciation... you can't just write these things off because it's 'fun'."
— Robo Challenge's James Cooper, during a 2020 RoboNerd/Caley Creations interview[13]
Eruption vs Behemoth

The redesigned Matilda sends Behemoth tumbling during its Series 10 Semi-Final against Eruption

Upon Robot Wars' revival in 2016, the above criticisms were addressed when Robo Challenge were tasked with devising and operating the Series 8-10 versions. Though still capable of causing major damage at full power, certain limitations were placed in the Revival Series House Robots as so that they would not be used to 'destroy' or otherwise damage competitors beyond reasonable repair. For example, while still able to damage internals and tough armour sections, Matilda's redesigned flywheel was primarily intended to throw contestants' robots around rather than rip them apart. This was seen as an approach necessary not only to respect the effort and increased cost in building competitor robots, but also account for the extra fights present in the main UK Championship formats of those series.[13]

Outside Robot Wars[]

From the show's beginnings, the House Robots played an important role in promoting the various versions of Robot Wars. Alongside appearances in merchandise and promotional materials (including idents commissioned for broadcasters including Challenge and Viasat Explore), this extended to appearances at official live events forming the qualifiers for Series 4 and 5, alongside other public events and media originating from the UK. The latter commitments often coincided with promotions for the Classic and rebooted series; one example being an appearance on a July 2016 edition of The One Show to promote the then-recently launched Series 8.

In most cases, public appearances were made possible by the ability for event organisers to hire the House Robots for displays and/or demonstrations. An example of this occurred at the 2002 Robot Roadshow in Worthing, where six of the Series 6/Extreme 2 House Robots were hired by organiser Ian Watts for display and photo opportunities offered to event attendees.[40]

One recurring appearance towards the end of the Classic run was at the Robot Zone charity events run by Steve Merrill in 2003 and 2004. Here, the original builds were present as static displays along with a number of well-known competitors from this era, with Shunt also being used for arena demonstrations in the 2004 running.[41][42][43]

Replicas[]

Robot Wars[]

Official replicas of the core Series 1-5 House Robots - Shunt, Dead Metal, Matilda, Sgt. Bash and Sir Killalot - were produced during the original run, which were primarily displayed in The Pits in later series as part of exhibitions accessible to audience members. These differed from their arena-ready counterparts in having no drive systems or functioning weaponry, as well as cosmetic changes including curved rear exo-armour for the replica Sir Killalot.[44]

Anthony Pritchard/Team Make Robotics[]

Some time after Robot Wars entered its hiatus, one of the Series 3-7 Sgt. Bash builds ended up in the ownership of Anthony Pritchard, who rebuilt it to a functional state for demonstrations at Robots Live! events.[45] In December 2018, this incarnation attended Pritchard's wedding as a static display alongside Behemoth Evo IX,[46] and continues to make similar appearances at other events with Team Make Robotics' other machines. The most recent public appearance of the Team Make Robotics Sgt. Bash was at the June 2022 wings&wheels show, where it was displayed alongside Behemoth and Kevin Cleasby's King of Bots competitor Switch.[47]

Alan Gribble[]

In 2011 - seven years after the show entered its hiatus - Alan Gribble of the Cold Fusion Team built his own version of Matilda based on the original Series 1-4 bodyshell. This retained the tusks, but initially lacked a chainsaw or flywheel at the rear, instead comically sporting a feather duster in a similar manner to The Steel Avenger. This version was subsequently used as a House Robot for featherweight battles at Roaming Robots events, alongside the 2013 Robot Wars live events tour run by the same organisers. Over time, a small flywheel was added to the back once again, bearing a close resemblance to the two-toothed pink disc seen in the Classic run.[48]

Gribble's version was subsequently acquired by Cyberigs Robotics, who restored it to working condition with tusks and a dummy chainsaw weapon accurate in scale to the original machine. The Cyberigs-owned Matilda became one of a number of robots displayed at the 'Robotazia' sci-fi restaurant in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, until the establishment's closure in March 2023.[49][50]

John Findlay[]

For the 2014 live tour, John Findlay built another Matilda replica, reinstating the rear flywheel (limited to 500rpm for safety reasons) while also featuring improved tusks and a stronger bodyshell. Later on, the shell was replaced with one made from the original moulds. Capable of throwing featherweight competitors out of the arena, Findlay's Matilda continued to appear in battle until the end of the Robot Wars live tour in 2016. As of 2023, Roaming Robots retains this version for static displays and promotions of the subsequent Extreme Robots tour.[51][52]

Jamie McHarg and Calum Jones[]

Full-scale replicas of Shunt and Dead Metal have also been built by Jamie McHarg, each representing their Series 3-7 guises and equipped with fully-functioning drives and weapons. Upon completion in 2019 and 2020 respectively, they have regularly attended events as static exhibits and active robots offering demonstrations of their weaponry. A similarly-functional replica of the Series 4-7 Sgt. Bash was completed by Calum Jones in 2021, making its first public appearance at the Robots Live! Crawley event that October.[53]

In 2023, Jones built a full-sized recreation of Growler, which appeared at the Rapture Gaming Festival on 1-2 July alongside the Shunt, Dead Metal and Sgt. Bash replicas.[54][55][56]

Trivia[]

  • In the Russian dub of Robot Wars (known as Robot Battles), the House Robots were referred to as the Patrol Robots.
  • An original proposal by Steve Carsey was for the House Robots to be built to a universal 100kg weight limit shared with competitors. However, when Chris Reynolds raised concerns that this would have an adverse effect on costs and operational requirements, this idea was abandoned; hence, all House Robots from both runs would be built with no weight restrictions.[12]

References[]

  1. Robot Wars File, p.62
  2. 2.0 2.1 'next step', compilation of Next Step segments on the 1994 US Robot Wars event uploaded by garth knight (YouTube), 1 March 2009
  3. 'RW94 Rules', Marc Thorpe/Robot Wars, reproduced on the Team Minus Zero website (archived)
  4. 'Robots Rule - History of Robotic Combat', fightingrobots.co.uk (archived)
  5. 'Robots Rule - House Robots', fightingrobots.co.uk (archived)
  6. 2013 Interview with Mat Irvine by Votesaxon07
  7. https://twitter.com/TeamstormUK/status/684276917156069377
  8. https://twitter.com/TeamstormUK/status/688711535842213888
  9. BBC website on the Series 8-10 House Robots
  10. https://old.reddit.com/r/robotwars/comments/77nd9x/im_andrew_robertson_executive_producer_of_robot/don7vzw/#don7vzw
  11. https://www.facebook.com/UKRobotWars/photos/a.567552436742443/590332291131124?comment_id=641203136044039
  12. 12.0 12.1 'Chris Reynolds RoboNerd 2020 Interview - Robot Wars and the House Robots.', Caley Creations (YouTube), uploaded 25th August 2020
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 'Robo Challenge Interview - RoboNerd 2020 - Robot Wars and the House Robots' Caley Creations (YouTube), uploaded 25th August 2020
  14. 'Floor Plan of War Zone', Robot Wars: The Fifth Wars Official Souvenir Programme
  15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvLFVGmbG1o#t=37m21s
  16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umNK7fLMRYM#t=26m05s
  17. Robot Wars Revealed, Episode 8, 05:06
  18. 'Robot Wars 1997 Heavyweight match: Mash-N-Go versus Frenzy', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded April 18 2021
  19. 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight match: Doughboy versus Spiny Norman', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded April 19 2021
  20. 'RobotWars 96 account' Dennis Millard/Gator website (archived)
  21. 'Live and Flipping!', Robot Wars Magazine, Issue 6, pp.20-21.
  22. https://www.facebook.com/groups/UnofficialRobotWars/permalink/779237542356013/?comment_id=779263752353392&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22%7D
  23. 'Robot Wars Live!' Robot Wars Magazine, Issue 18, p.26
  24. Diary from the Barber-Ous website (archived)
  25. https://web.archive.org/web/20041018234053fw_/http://www.teamroobarb.co.uk/events_rws5.htm
  26. http://web.archive.org/web/20040112101756/http://www.technobots.co.uk/Tristate/M2_/Events/2001_Events/Wembley/wembley.html
  27. Audience member accounts of the 2001 London Arena Live Event from User:Shuntarunt, 16 June 2023
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 'A History of the Wars', 'Robot Wars Official Souvenir Programme [Live Event]', 2001
  29. 29.0 29.1 'Robot Wars Live Event [Running Order], 'Robot Wars Official Souvenir Programme [Live Event]', 2001
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 http://web.archive.org/web/19961110230102/http://www.mentorn.co.uk:80/robotwars/gallery/
  31. http://web.archive.org/web/19961110230142/http://www.mentorn.co.uk/robotwars/gallery/happyeat.jpg
  32. http://web.archive.org/web/19961110230120/http://www.mentorn.co.uk/robotwars/gallery/ekkeekk.jpg
  33. http://web.archive.org/web/19961110230201/http://www.mentorn.co.uk/robotwars/gallery/powermos.jpg
  34. http://web.archive.org/web/19961110230302/http://www.mentorn.co.uk/robotwars/gallery/steelsla.jpg
  35. Robot Wars: The Official Magazine, Issue 5, p.4
  36. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/08/airmageddon
  37. Robot Wars Revealed, Episode 1
  38. Brad Stone (2003), Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, p.170
  39. https://web.archive.org/web/20010521155823/http://www.tinweb.com:80/discus/messages/350/1802.html?SundayFebruary1320001125am
  40. http://www.teamtornado.co.uk/roadsw22.htm
  41. The Robot Zone website (archived)
  42. Facebook comment by Craig Danby, 8th September 2022
  43. 'Robot Wars | Looking for an Award-winning 3D Animation Studios London? | LUMIERE', Lumiere Studios, listing one of the Viasat CGI promos
  44. http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/robotsrule/recordings.htm
  45. https://www.facebook.com/behemothrobotwars/posts/pfbid021UBM3M5NqJXNX1XCoQg6XxHjpRj7sX83xm4A6VDNNNrysNJoTAGmfHSZsiQouswEl?comment_id=1716319442038282&reply_comment_id=701052677661318
  46. https://www.facebook.com/behemothrobotwars/posts/pfbid02zRnTSpAkAtznTK52YX8R9cXG78UAN3jaDg46fHpZCCXTrkhJzouTTjZZS1GmgG7Ml
  47. https://www.facebook.com/behemothrobotwars/posts/pfbid021eLMLVM7emrysm94BiLR4gSYMLFzPT7M8FWjpCxfecu4ZGcNRzGGrAsWNutitgszl
  48. 'Robot Wars 2013 Colchester - Featherweights 2', Revsmin(YouTube), uploaded 15 April 2013
  49. http://www.robotazia.co.uk/robot-wars-matilda/
  50. Liam Ryder, 'Robotazia robot restaurant in Milton Keynes closes down over cost of living crisis', Buckinghamshire Live, 13 March 2023
  51. https://www.facebook.com/extremerobotshow/posts/1864036490456072
  52. Facebook video by Extreme Robots, 24 October 2023
  53. https://www.facebook.com/groups/UnofficialRobotWars/posts/1777067849239639/
  54. https://www.facebook.com/RobotRebellionUK/posts/pfbid0WBVc9Xx16779EF5maGwUHKb8pupHMZ98NAEQJbVU7TTWanQL8kDvH72yEFx3F5fYl
  55. https://www.facebook.com/groups/UnofficialRobotWars/posts/2234546576825095/
  56. https://twitter.com/CaleyCreations/status/1674865860794540049

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